In all our experience of fell running, there seems to be a recurring theme, that we should run faster and find the optimum route consistently. When we don’t, there is a detailed analysis during and afterwards and a commitment to improve next time and so the cycle continues…. It was thus on Wednesday during and after a particularly brutal climb out of Shelf Brook. Seven of us had started from the Doctors Gate car park near the summit of the Snake Road. Inevitably our general direction of travel was downhill via a quad track (thanks to Tom for finding it) sandwiched between Harmerian ground (we had to have our medicine) down to a dry looking Shelf Brook.
This was almost the last of the significant climbing and it was steep, very steep so much so that Chris and I lost sight of our leading group on the various false summits towards James Thorn and the Pond. Chris got the right route, I didn’t and in attempt to regain some dignity, I continued to climb to the level of Pike with the aim of meeting them near the cave there. In that respect, the ploy was successful though Tom and Roger needed to perform a pincer movement to find me.
We now followed the southern side up the dramatic Yellowslacks until a shallow crossing on to a bigger track on the opposite side.
Roger muttered something about reccing the Four Inns race and following a faint path in grough off to the right-hand side. Which grough, though? After a few possibles, Roger chose one which took us through a maze of groughs in a sea of heathery peat mounds. This hid any views of the Shelf Stones trig and our target of the B52 bomber wreck. After diverting on to an even fainter track, we were suddenly at the wreck. Well done, Roger!
In all honesty, I was a bit of a relief to stop and browse through the wreckage because the pace going to the wreck was tending towards the brutal (for me) though, of course. Roger’s navigation made it more efficientOur final dash over Gathering Hill, Crooked Clough, Devil’s Dike and Old Woman (a fine set of names) was, dare I say it, enjoyable! No brutal climbing and no navigational wanderings, Our enjoyment continued with a limited pub crawl to the YBI and then on to the Norfolk Arms to join the DPFR AGM which was held in a very civil way, no rowdy behaviour, oh dear, standards are slipping!
Altogether a wonderful evening, thanks to all.
Graham
